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Does Rice Cause You to Put on Weight?

by Carly Schuna

About Carly Schuna

Carly Schuna is a Wisconsin-based professional writer, editor and copy editor/proofreader. She has worked with hundreds of pieces of fiction, nonfiction, children's literature, feature stories and corporate content. Her expertise on food, cooking, nutrition and fitness information comes from years of in-depth study on those and other health topics.

As diet foods go, rice isn’t ideal because it has a relatively high energy density. That means it packs a significant number of calories into a moderate serving size and doesn’t always offer the fiber, lean protein or water content necessary to keep you full for long periods. However, if you manage to keep your daily calorie intake moderate, you can eat rice often and still stay at a healthy weight.

About Rice

Rice is a grain, one of the five primary groups in the USDA’s food pyramid. Grains tend to contain more calories per serving than other natural foods in the pyramid, such as fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products and lean proteins. However, they also offer nutrients that the other groups don’t. In particular, brown rice, black rice and wild rice are whole grains that can help deliver healthy amounts of dietary fiber, B vitamins, folate and minerals, including magnesium and selenium.

Weight Maintenance, Gain and Loss

The amount of weight you lose or gain depends on the number of calories you take in versus the number that you burn. If eating rice every day means that you’re consuming more calories than you burn through physical activity, even by just a slight amount, you will put on weight over time. The rice itself is not responsible, however, since the same phenomenon would take place no matter what you ate, as long as you continued to build up a calorie excess.

Considerations

If rice is a staple part of your diet, there are a couple measures you can take to ensure it doesn’t cause you to pack on the pounds. First, dish out smaller amounts and round out your meals with fruits and vegetables, which contain far fewer calories per serving. You can also eat brown, black or wild rice instead of white rice whenever possible. Whole grain varieties offer about the same number of calories but more fiber and protein per serving, so they’re likely to keep you full for longer periods. If you’re concerned about how the rice you’re eating or your diet in general is affecting your ability to maintain a healthy weight, speak with your physician or a registered dietitian.